Engage everybody in Innovations

Pambudi Sunarsihanto, Human Resources Director, Blue Bird Group

We are often trapped in the old paradigm that the names of the days are only Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc. Today and tomorrow are also English words and representing the specific days.

That's thinking outside of the box. That's creativity. This is one way of solving new problems in new ways and breaking old dogmas and paradigms. That is what we are currently dealing with in our business. The problems we face today are all new, complicated, and ambiguous. This requires us to think in new ways that we have never done before. Today, theThe competition is getting tougher, and competitors are required to develop more attractive products, cheaper prices, and more aggressive marketing.  Competition is getting tougher, everyone must innovate. The problem is that innovation cannot be done by a few people. Innovation is not only creating products, but also creating processes, new ways of approaching customers.

Unfortunately, many companies are lost in routine. Many employees feel loyal to the company, have worked with the company for decades, but do not want to change, being immersed in the dreams and illusions of the past. He thought that what was done in the past (and had made the company successful at that time), can still be done continuously.

You cannot solve the new problem with the old way of thinking, the old way of doing and the old way of working. It won't work.We have to change our mindset and the way we work, adjust to the changes that are happening out there. Change or die.Then how to run innovation so that everyone can be involved? Let's take a look at the five recommendations.

 1. Creativity

Re-teach about creativity to everyone. It is about looking at things from different perspectives,  find another point of view to look at a problem, and try to come up with as many new solutions as possible before they are implemented, and do not repeat the old way. Don't just find a solution that is immediately applied. Keep inventing new solutions to your business challenges.

2. Connected

Make sure that all your employees know your customers. Connect to your customers. Understand their behavior. Anticipate their behavior change with the updated products and services that you offer. This can only happen if your employees are connected and understand your customers.

“The competition is getting tougher, and competitors are required to develop more attractive products, cheaper prices, and more aggressive marketing.”

3. Consistent

Your company, your product has a spirit and your firm has a brand identity. Even though you innovate, you still have to be consistent in your brand identity. For example, if your customers know you, because your quality is the best, your innovation must also have high quality standards.

4. Communicate

Communicate company initiatives for internal and external initiatives. Everyone must understand about the innovation that is being carried out. Not just "what" and "how", but especially the "why". Everyone must understand why innovation must be carried out. Explain that it must be done to ensure the long term success of the company.

5. Celebrate together

It requires effort and hardwork from everybody. Don't wait until the finish line. Celebrate success in every stage together. Reward some individuals who play an important role in the innovation process.

Leading a higher level

(Pambudi Sunarsihanto)

In our career there will be a time when we will be promoted to a higher position.

Now, when we are promoted, like it or not, we will indeed start from scratch again. We are still not yet an expert in our new role. This is where the crisis of confidence usually occurs because we will now move from the “expert” phase to the “learning” phase again.

How do we motivate us during that period?

You were good in your previous role, but when you are promoted you move to the next level. Some of your competence become irrelevant. And there are some new competences that you don’t master yet. This is the “learning ” phase that you have to go through.

If we face a more severe test, it means that we are considered to have advanced grades, and are able to face a more severe test.

We used to be smart in elementary school, passed exams, then entered junior high school; the lessons were harder. Then do we complain, cry and ask to be sent back to elementary school.

Then after studying in junior high school and we start to be smart, we graduate from junior high school, and then we enter high school. High school lessons are even harder. We also don't cry and don't ask to go back to middle school.

 We live life, we learn and work harder, while enjoying it.

Likewise with our careers, if we are promoted means we will occupy a higher position which can be challenging. . Higher the position, greater the challenge.  But indeed at first we have a lot to learn more. According to Michael Porter, a well-known strategy expert, we move from the “competent level” to the “incompetent level” at first.

That's where the difficulty is, there's the demotivation, and that's where the challenge is. To that end, one should accept the reality, understand that you are not alone, learn from the past and improve, and lead and motivate yourself.